Is Ministry Your Job Or Is It Your Life?

Is ministry the thing you do for forty plus hours a week, or is ministry actually the life you live? I know, I know, how unhealthy if it were actually your life. Lopsided, out of balance, unsustainable – I can hear the cries!

We need boundaries, safeguards, and protections. We need to draw healthy lines in the sand so that our job does not consume us. We want to separate our work from our family life, our personal life, our social life, etc. We want to live a balanced, healthy life.

I mean, we’ve even done podcast episodes on balancing family and ministry. I know. But lately I’ve been increasingly wondering about this. Is ministry life the same as Kingdom living? Is loving someone by serving them any different if we are “on the clock” or if it’s our day off?

Do we get paid to do one, but do the other as our personal “ministry”, or volunteer time, our service work?

C’mon now, as pastors I’m taking about – as credentialed clergy – is it our life or is it our job?

Is it fair to consider this, using Jesus as an example? He had a commission from the Father. “As the Father has sent me…” He came to this earth for one reason, one mission, not to have a life, but to sacrifice his life for us. Probably not a fair comparison?

How about thinking about this with Paul in mind. Yeah, sure, Paul balanced life and ministry. Paul was single and urged others to be so as well. He traveled on these journeys risking his life for the sake of the Gospel being delivered to the Gentiles.


He didn’t let ministry consume him. Kill him? Well yes, he tried and almost succeeded at that several times. Before he actually did succeed at allowing his calling from God to actually kill him.

Yeah, Paul is probably not a good example.

What in the world do you think? Is ministry a job or a life. Is it a part of our life or is it our life?

I know, you’ll qualify it. You’ll straddle the fence in your answer. You’ll say, “Yes and no”. Maybe it is both/and. That's what I would say and how I would answer.

But, more and more, for me, ministry is my life. It is what God has called me to. The Kingdom of God is paramount and I must live in it. Period.

Yes, I admit it. This is kind of heavy and burdensome on a Monday morning. But, I thought that if I had to struggle with it, you should have to as well! Don’t you think?!

How about this. How about, if you would, reply to this post – but with either a yes or a no. No qualifications, just decide which one would receive at least 51% of your vote, and reply with that. Yes or no.

No qualifications, explanations, disclaimers, or second words. Just one word replies.

Yes. Or. No.

Yes means: “Yes, ministry is my life”

No means: “No, ministry is my job”

Wow, I can’t wait until Wednesday when we can just have fun on the 200churches Podcast and do some heavy handed encouragement! :-)


Thanks for indulging me by reading this post. The older I (Jeff) get, it seems like the stakes just get higher in ministry. Your time gets shorter, and you want it to count. Ministry is what I've given my life to, and it seems to have become my life. Is that good? Or bad?


What do you think? There! Now I've just given you permission to answer with more than one word!


Happy Monday from Jeff & Jonny!